Cloth-cutting machine.



PATENTED OCT. 29. 1907.

I'. J. CLARK.

CLOTH CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 28. 1906.

m. .du EL@ UNITED STATES FREDERICK J. CLARK, OF BUFFALO, NEv YORK,

ASSIGNOR TO EASTAIAN MACHINE COMPANY,

OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

CLOTH-CUTTING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 29, 1907'.

Application tiled November 26, 1906. Serial No. 3455.153.

To all 'whom tt may concern.'

Be it known that I, Fnunnrneri J. Cirami, a citizen of the UnitedStates, r'esiding at ,Buff-alo, in the county of Erie and State of NewYork, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cloth-CuttingMachines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to irnprovements in clothcutting machines of that class having a r eciprocating motor-operatedknife for cut ting thc clot h.

In machines of this class, a presser foot is employed which tr'avelsalong the top layer' of the cloth in adva nce of the knife and serves toprevent disarrangement of the cloth by the action of the knife.

One object of this invention is to provide means for adjusting thispresser' foot and secur'ing it in different positions, which can beeasily operated and serves to pr'everrt all play and r'attle of theparts resultingl from the vibr'ations of the nraclrirre.

As commonly consructed, the presser foot is located directly in frontot` the knife and has a slot ted or bifurcated rearwardly-extending heelportion tlrr'ough which the knife passes. In this construction, thepattern line on the cloth dir'ectly in front of the knife is concealedand the operator can only see the line as it appears in front of thepresser foot, some distance in advance of the knife, and thereforecarnrot tell exactly where the knife is cutting. This is especiallydisadvantageous in all cases wher'e the lines of the pattern requiresharp and angular turns of the knife, as the operator', not being ableto see how far' the knife has cut, cannot determine exactly when themachine should be trrrned to Vfollow the pattern. This necessarilyresults in inaccurate cutting.

A further object of the invention is to so construct the parts of thepresser foot, which embrace the knife, that they will not obstruct theoperators view ofthe lines of the patternupon the Cloth directly infront of the knife. This result is attained by enlarging the knife slotor opening in the heel portion of the presser' foot, sufficiently inthat portion which is adjacent to the front edge of the knife so thatthe cutting line of the pattern can be readily seen.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a perspective view of a clothcutting rrrachine embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a fr'orrtelevation, partly in section, on an enlarged scale, of the presser footand its adjust ing device` Fig. 3 is a br'okerr side elevation of thesame. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section thereof, partly in plan, in line 44, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation thereof in line 5 5, Fig. 2.Fig. 6 is a plan view of the presser foot and section of the supportingleg.

Like letters of refer'ence refer' to like parts in the several figures.

The cloth cutting machine shown in Fig. l of the drawings is anelectrically-operated reciprocating knife machine of ordinaryconstruction, except as hereinafter descrilmd, having an electric motorA mounted in a fr'anre l and operatively connected to a reciprocatingknife C. A standard D secured to a base or foot plate E supports themotor and knife-operating mechanism. This standard has a vertical grooveor way open at its front edge in which thc reciprocating knife (itravels and b v which the same is guided.

F is a presser foot adapted to be secured at different desiredelevations directly in front of the knife C in a manner to behereinafter described and to rest upon the top layer of the cloth whichis being cut. This presser' foot preferably has a forwardly-extendingtoe portionfat one side of the longitudinal center' thereof, and arearwardly-extending slotted or bifurcatedheel portion A/y adapted toembrace the cutting knife C and the narrow front edge of the standard D.The knife slot in the presser' foot is widened adjacent to the center'of the foot to forni an enlarged circular opening f2, which opening isdirectly in fr'ont of the knife C and through which the operator can seethe line of the pattern and the front edge of the cutting knife.

The presser foot is supported by a leg or post Il extending upwardlytlrcr'efr'orn and terminating in a toothed rack G which is actuated byan adjusting device upon tlre frame B for raising and lowering thepresser foot. The toothed rack G preferably passes through and is guidedby a vertical groove zy in a block or casing II suitably secured to theframe l5 above the kni fe C by screws W, or any other' desired means.

I represents an adjusting shaft which is journaled in a hollow boss orportion of the block or casing H and has secured to it within said bossa pinion K which meshes with the toothed rack G. A locking disk ordevice L is also secured to or forrned on the shaft I beside the pinionK within the hollow boss or casing. One end of the shaft I extendsbeyond the casing II and has secured thereon a milled head or finger'wheel M by turning which the shaft and pinion can be operated to raiseor lower' the rack.. r`he adjusting shaft is screwthreaded between itshead M and the side of the Cas ing, and a threaded locking nut or sleeveN with an enlarged milled head or portion works on the threaded portionof the shaft, suitable washers being preferably provided between thislocking nut and the side of the easing to prevent the locking nut frombeing held against rotation with the shaft by friction against thecasing and thereby tending to lock the shaft when it should be released.

The locking disk L is of somewhat greater diameter than the pinion I(so' that it bears against one side of the rack bnr G, as shown in Figs.S and 4. The locking disk L and pinion I( are capable of a limitedsidewise or longitudinal nrovernent in the casing, and when the lockingnut is tur'ned in one direction it draws the locking disk over againstthe rack bar and firmly clamps the latter in its guideway.

The operation of the device is as follows: W hen the locking nut N isreleased, the pinion and its rack are tree to move and the presser l'ootcan be raised or lowered to any desired position by turning theadjusting head or wheel M, the locking nut N turning,- with the shaft Iand thus maintaining its released position. When the presser oot hasbeen adjusted to the desired height, the locking nut is turned on theshal't l, thus drawing the locking disk or member L into l'rictionalengagement With the side of the rack G and locking' the saine inposition against lurther movement.

The enlarged opening f1 in the knife-slotted heel portion of the pressertoot enables the operator to clearly see the line of the patterndirectly in advance of the moving knife as the machine is being,loperated, While the contracted portion ol` the slot adjacent to thesides of the knife and the edge ot' the standard serves to prevent anylifting or disarrangement ot' the layers oi cloth resulting i'rom theaction ot the knife and the movement ol" the machine.

l claim as my invention:

i. The combination ot' a presser toot. or the like, a movable rackconnected thereto, a pinion engaging' said rack a locking' memberconnected to said pinion and adapted to engage said rack. and means tormoving, said locking mem ber into engagement with said rack tor locking;the same. substantially as set forth.

2. The combination ot a presser toot. or the like. a movable rackconnected thereto. a guide for said rack. a pinion engaging.; said rack,a locking; member adjacent to said pinion and adapted to ena-age saidrack, and means tor moving; said locking member to clamp said rackbetween said lockingl member and said guide for locking the same,substantially as set torth.

2. 'lhe combination ot a presser toot or the like, a movabie rackconnected thereto, an adjusting shaft, a pinion on said siatt engagingsaid rack, a locking member secured to said shaft adjacent to saidpinion, and means for moving said shaft to brine; said lockingl memberinto en sagement with said rack for locking the same, substantiail asset forth.

l. 'lhe combination ot' a presser toot or the like, a movable rackconnected thereto. an adjustingl shaft, a pinion on said shatt ei gina'said rack, a locking member secured to said shatt' adjk centi to saidpinion, and a device having,- a screw-threaded el gement with said shaftt'or moving; the same to bring aid lockingl member into engagement withsaid rack. substantially as sel.' forth.

3. 'llie combination of a presser foot or the like, a movA able rackconnected thereto, a guide for said rack, an adjusting shal't. a pinionon said shafty en;.;agin asaid rack, a locking' member secured to saidshaft adjacent to said pinion. and means tor movin;Y said shaft to clampsaid rack between said locking member and said guide for locking: thesame. substantially as set forth.

ti. In a cloth cutting' machine, the combination of a presser toot, amovable rack connected thereto, a supportingblock secured to saidmachine and havingl a guide for said rack` an adjusting shatt journaledin said block, a pinion on said shatt eng'agiiml said rack, a lockingmember secured to said shal't adjacent to said pinion. and means formoving' said shaft to clamp said rack between said locking;l member andsaid ;'uide for lockingl the same. substantially as set torth.

7. In a cloth cutting` machine` a presser foot having a slot throughwhich the knite passes. said slot having a contracted rear portionadapted to embrace the knife, and an enlarged portion adjacent to thecuttingr edge of the knife throne-h which the pattern directly inladvance of the knife ean be seen, substantially as set forth.

Witness in v hand, this 12th day oi' November, 1906.

FREDERICK J. CLARK.

Witnesses z L'. l. S'rnvnx'soN, E. C. Hann.

